Comments on: Thinking Out Loud: Diversity and the Toronto Coat of Arms http://www.joeydevilla.com/2006/10/11/thinking-out-loud-diversity-and-the-toronto-coat-of-arms/ Joey deVilla's Personal Blog Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:11:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1-alpha-10188 hourly 1 By: batz http://www.joeydevilla.com/2006/10/11/thinking-out-loud-diversity-and-the-toronto-coat-of-arms/comment-page-1/#comment-8313 batz Thu, 07 Jun 2007 14:57:55 +0000 http://www.joeydevilla.com/2006/10/11/thinking-out-loud-diversity-and-the-toronto-coat-of-arms/#comment-8313 This is an old thread, but I stumbled on it while looking for Toronto's coat of arms. For those of us whose Toronto will never <i>really</i> include Scarborough, the old coat of arms is both a quaint (if gaudy) and apropos symbol. This is an old thread, but I stumbled on it while looking for Toronto’s coat of arms. For those of us whose Toronto will never really include Scarborough, the old coat of arms is both a quaint (if gaudy) and apropos symbol.

]]> By: batz http://www.joeydevilla.com/2006/10/11/thinking-out-loud-diversity-and-the-toronto-coat-of-arms/comment-page-1/#comment-8312 batz Thu, 07 Jun 2007 14:56:52 +0000 http://www.joeydevilla.com/2006/10/11/thinking-out-loud-diversity-and-the-toronto-coat-of-arms/#comment-8312 This is an old thread, but I stumbled on it while looking for Toronto's coat of arms. For those of us whose Toronto will never <i>really</i> include Scarborough, the old coat of arms is both a quaint, (if gaudy) apropos symbol. This is an old thread, but I stumbled on it while looking for Toronto’s coat of arms. For those of us whose Toronto will never really include Scarborough, the old coat of arms is both a quaint, (if gaudy) apropos symbol.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.joeydevilla.com/2006/10/11/thinking-out-loud-diversity-and-the-toronto-coat-of-arms/comment-page-1/#comment-8311 Anonymous Wed, 11 Oct 2006 17:45:45 +0000 http://www.joeydevilla.com/2006/10/11/thinking-out-loud-diversity-and-the-toronto-coat-of-arms/#comment-8311 Geez I keep forgetting to do this on your site... that first comment from Anon was actually me. Geez I keep forgetting to do this on your site… that first comment from Anon was actually me.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.joeydevilla.com/2006/10/11/thinking-out-loud-diversity-and-the-toronto-coat-of-arms/comment-page-1/#comment-8310 Anonymous Wed, 11 Oct 2006 17:31:44 +0000 http://www.joeydevilla.com/2006/10/11/thinking-out-loud-diversity-and-the-toronto-coat-of-arms/#comment-8310 In the context of the rest of the <a href="http://iectomorph.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow"><cite>I, Ectomorph</cite></a> blog, it's a mash-up of anti-immigrant rant and coat-of-arms rant. I'll tackle the coat of arms for now. On strictly heraldic issues, I'm in Andy's camp. I think that using English on a coat of arms is a "dumbing down". Perhaps it stems from my belief that words don't belong on flags. Anyhow, I understand that it's a time-honoured tradition to put a motto on one's coat of arms, but I think that in doing so, you should at least avoid using living languages. As for "diversity", it's more demographic descriptor than virtue. Yeah, I think that monocultures do produce monotonous cultures, but "diversity" pales in comparison to the go-getter virtues of "industry", "intelligence" and "integrity". I think what we've got here is the cult of self-esteem rearing its ugly head. And finally, the animals vs. people: I'll take the people over the beaver and bear. In the context of the rest of the I, Ectomorph blog, it’s a mash-up of anti-immigrant rant and coat-of-arms rant. I’ll tackle the coat of arms for now.

On strictly heraldic issues, I’m in Andy’s camp.

I think that using English on a coat of arms is a “dumbing down”. Perhaps it stems from my belief that words don’t belong on flags. Anyhow, I understand that it’s a time-honoured tradition to put a motto on one’s coat of arms, but I think that in doing so, you should at least avoid using living languages.

As for “diversity”, it’s more demographic descriptor than virtue. Yeah, I think that monocultures do produce monotonous cultures, but “diversity” pales in comparison to the go-getter virtues of “industry”, “intelligence” and “integrity”. I think what we’ve got here is the cult of self-esteem rearing its ugly head.

And finally, the animals vs. people: I’ll take the people over the beaver and bear.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.joeydevilla.com/2006/10/11/thinking-out-loud-diversity-and-the-toronto-coat-of-arms/comment-page-1/#comment-8309 Anonymous Wed, 11 Oct 2006 16:42:24 +0000 http://www.joeydevilla.com/2006/10/11/thinking-out-loud-diversity-and-the-toronto-coat-of-arms/#comment-8309 It seems a bit rich to paint this as an anti-immigrant rant, Joey. The guy does go off on a tangent at the end, but if we're merely evaluating the coats of arms and mottoes, the new stuff blows. As the guy points out, previously the arms had a male native and female European, whereas now we have an anthorpomorphic beaver and bear. The humans are least slightly more representative; you'd be far more likely to run into actual male natives and female Europeans in Toronto, while the number of beavers and bears that live inside the city limits could probably be counted on one hand. As a rallying cry for urban development and renewal, "Diversity our Strength" is a little weak. It basically boils down to "We have variety". The prior motto, "Industry - Intelligence - Integrity" is a little more likely to make potential business owners and investors happy; it implies that we are hard-working, smart and honest. If I was looking for a new home I'd want the hard-working, smart and honest one. Those kinds of cities attract variety because they are great places to live and work. It seems a bit rich to paint this as an anti-immigrant rant, Joey. The guy does go off on a tangent at the end, but if we’re merely evaluating the coats of arms and mottoes, the new stuff blows.

As the guy points out, previously the arms had a male native and female European, whereas now we have an anthorpomorphic beaver and bear. The humans are least slightly more representative; you’d be far more likely to run into actual male natives and female Europeans in Toronto, while the number of beavers and bears that live inside the city limits could probably be counted on one hand.

As a rallying cry for urban development and renewal, “Diversity our Strength” is a little weak. It basically boils down to “We have variety”. The prior motto, “Industry - Intelligence - Integrity” is a little more likely to make potential business owners and investors happy; it implies that we are hard-working, smart and honest.

If I was looking for a new home I’d want the hard-working, smart and honest one. Those kinds of cities attract variety because they are great places to live and work.

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